Ben Affleck Offers Status Update On The Batman Script

McGrath: So you just mentioned that you’ve made a sequel, and there’s going to be yet another sequel, but in the meantime you’re down I believe to write, direct and star in a standalone Batman movie, is that right?

Affleck: That’s the idea, yeah, that’s the idea. We still have to get a screenplay and get it together-

McGrath: I thought you were going to write it?

Affleck: I am; that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be good. [laughs] I’m a real believer in not doing, not reverse engineering projects to meet a window or a date, but rather like when you get the right story or you get the right idea or you get the right thing, then you make the movie. And so that’s what we’re doing, and I’m hoping to get that done and spending a lot of time on that, but I’m also working on other stuff. And if I could, if I can find it right then there’s nothing I’d love more than to direct a standalone, you know, iconic great Batman movie.”

They went on to discuss the Nolan Batman trilogy and other films that have been done with the character, acknowledging that the bar has been set pretty high. Affleck admitted that he wasn’t in any hurry to “jam the mediocre movie down the pipe”, instead wanting to take the time necessary to write and develop a great film based around the character. He explained that he wants his standalone Batman film to be worthy of Tim Burton and Nolan’s films, and his performance worthy to stand alongside that of Christian Bale.

For those who were hoping that the new Batman film would be underway soon, it seems that it’s still firmly in the scripting stages. While this may be disheartening for fans who are eager to see Affleck’s take on the Dark Knight standing on his own, there is at least some comfort to be found in the fact that he doesn’t want to rush the production just to meet a specific deadline. With any luck, the eventual film that comes from the delay will be well worth the wait.